


Distance and Intimacy

by accidentaltsundere



Series: Antithesis [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, hunk is the sweetest and best friend ever, i love them, klance, lots of deep conversations and feelings, part 2 of this has probably been done before, s4 as background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-07 17:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14085561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accidentaltsundere/pseuds/accidentaltsundere
Summary: Keith and Lance discover that navigating their feelings for each other only makes doubt rise within them. Luckily Hunk is there to catch them when they fall.





	Distance and Intimacy

Hunk doesn't get knocks on his door anymore. Not at night, at least.

He doesn't have to blink groggily through the darkness, welcoming Lance inside his room. He doesn't have to let Lance fall apart as sobs shake his body, provide comforting words as they embrace, or fall asleep after he has cheered Lance up with their usual joking conversation, his lanky frame tucked under Hunk's bicep.

As much as he is relieved that his best friend is feeling better, he can't help the curiosity that swirls around his thoughts. Each night Lance enters his room, yawning loudly and bidding his team goodnight, and each morning, he files into the dining room for breakfast, his eyes bright and well-rested. Hunk can't sate his intrigued feelings.

Lance seats himself at the table, recognizing that he is, for once, the first to wake. The castle is eerily quiet in the morning, and Lance finds himself surprised at how the cavernous space can feel so unfathomably empty when he is alone.

It's been six nights since he's slept in his own bed. In his infinite loneliness night after night, he finds himself returning to Keith's room, this time crawling into his bed wordlessly and burrowing underneath the covers, letting his quiet sniffles become muffled in the blankets. Keith, still unsure of how to navigate the very new, very emotional atmosphere, simply rubs Lance's shoulder gingerly, until his rapid breathing slows and his sobs are quelled. Keith doesn't wrap his arms around Lance like Hunk does, doesn't stroke his hair, doesn't do anything except exist beside Lance. Platonic or not, Lance isn't sure how to convey that he wants—no, _needs_ —physical contact, and Keith isn't sure how to even begin to understand how to deliver it.

Keith does understand one thing, though. The agonizingly wonderful feeling in the core of his being when he looks at Lance, soft as flower petals and as explosive as fireworks—it's undeniable. He is definitely in love.

Hunk wakes early that morning, the second to arrive at the table. Lance eats with a sleepy slowness, combing tangled, wavy locks of chestnut hair away from his eyes with his fingers. "Mornin', Hunk," he mumbles, flashing his friend a small smile.

"Hey Lance." Shoving his desire for sustenance aside, he slides into a seat across from Lance. Quirking an eyebrow, he observes the brunette boy carefully, noting the fading violet rings under his eyes. "Have you been sleeping better?"

A tint of strawberry pink floods his deep brown complexion. "Uh, yeah," Lance replies, avoiding Hunk's measured gaze. "Y-yeah, I've been better."

"You don't need me anymore?" Hunk play-pouts, and Lance laughs quietly, his face still lightly flushed. "Um...well..." The brunette boy trails off, and now Hunk is really intrigued, because he can count on one hand the number of times he's seen Lance openly experience embarrassment. It takes a lot to bother Lance.

"But seriously, what's up dude?" Hunk inquires, resting his gaze on the brunette boy.

His question doesn't get answered, at least not for the time being. Keith appears, indigo eyes flitting nervously from Hunk to Lance.

"Hi," he greets the pair, with a timid smile. "I was just gonna, uh...train for a bit. I'll see you guys later."

Speeding away with swift steps, Keith disappears down the hallway. Hunk directs a curious glance towards Lance, whose pink-tinged cheeks haven't cooled, and the way his face changes as his gaze rests upon Keith, softening into something unrecognizable. Hunk has watched Lance become infatuated with girl after girl, with the occasional boy slipping in, but this is different. Hunk doesn't know this look.

"Lance," Hunk pipes up, letting his eyelids lower as a smirk creeps up on his lips. "I saw that."

Lance nearly chokes on his food, eyes widening in defiance at the accusation. "Saw _what_?"

"The way you looked at Keith," he replies easily, despite Lance's whine of protest. "Come on, I'm your best friend, you can't hide these things from me."

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Lance sputters out in embarrassment, his fingers twitching out of nervous habit. "A few nights ago, we both couldn't sleep, and we talked about feeling homesick, and about things that we like, and lots of stuff." Lance shrugs, attempting to keep the conversation nonchalant. "No big deal."

" _Yes_ big deal!" Hunk exclaims, meeting Lance's reluctant cerulean eyes. "That's so sweet."

Lance shrugs for the second time, seeming strangely uncomfortable with the conversation as he forces a smile. "I don't know. It's just a friendly thing for him, anyway."

Hunk wants to press on, but Allura's arrival prompts him to drop the subject. He'll bring it up the next time he and Lance are truly alone, but for now, he lets the flustered boy relax as his eyes light up in a genuine smile, natural conversation flowing as they move past the subject.

•     •     •

Hunk is preparing for a good night's rest after an exhaustingly long day of training when there is a soft, tentative knocking at his door.

"Lance? Buddy, is that you?"

"Actually...it's Keith." The deeper, raspier voice trails off unsurely at the end of the sentence, leaving Hunk wondering.

"Oh. Come on in!" Hunk has a sneaking suspicion that his conversation involves Lance somehow, but he keeps an open mind as Keith wanders inside, arms crossed rigidly to mask the insecurities gnawing at his core.

Keith clears his throat, gazing up at Hunk, who towers above him. His aura radiates nothing but friendliness and amiability, however, warm chocolate eyes silently encouraging Keith to speak.

Keith clears his throat, twisting strands of his loose ponytail in shaking fingers. "Hi. Um. I think...kind of...IthinkI'minlovewithLance. A little bit. And it feels like a problem."

Hunk hides an amused smile at Keith's rushed mumbling and jumbled words. He is so blunt, yet so reserved, the usual simmering flame that drives his impulsive actions noticeably absent in this setting.

"Why does it feel like a problem?" Hunk inquires gently, trying for a casual approach so Keith can lower his guards.

Keith squints down at his boots, fingers digging into his biceps as uncertainty mingles with the bothersome butterflies in his stomach. "Because I'm...I don't know how to love someone." His voice wavers on the last syllable. "It took me years to open up to Shiro...and it's still hard sometimes. Like...I'm like, broken...or something."

Hunk lays a hand on Keith's elbow, unraveling his tense muscles as his nails leave fading red marks on his unblemished skin. "You're not broken, Keith," Hunk assures him, and his soothing tone brings the full-bodied sincerity and warmth of the sun on a summer day. "It's okay to be unsure. You're not supposed to have all of the answers. If someone is important to you, it'll come as naturally as it can. And if it doesn't, that person will understand, if they feel the same about you."

Keith nods. "I...I just...I feel like I panic. Getting close to people, I mean. Like. It's usually only a matter of time before people get sick of me."

Hunk feels melancholy curl around his heart at Keith's hopeless words. "Dude...none of us could ever get sick of you! You're an amazing, intelligent person, a great friend and leader, and a million more things to name. Lance, of all people, would never get sick of you. I promise you, Keith."

Though he doesn't appear content, Keith bites his lip and nods, his walls already building back up and sheltering his vulnerability. "Thanks Hunk," he replies, his voice small. "And...thanks for listening."

"You're welcome! Anytime." Hunk flashes a dazzling smile once again, making Keith yearn for a closer friendship with the impossibly kind boy.

Keith spins around to leave, before turning back, emitting one last plea: "Oh, and...don't tell Lance, okay?"

Hunk shakes his head aggressively. "No way, I would never. This is just between us."

Keith gives a curt nod, traces of anxiety still dancing in his indigo eyes. And then he is gone, leaving Hunk to consider the weight of his thoughts.

• • •

The budding closeness between Keith and Lance is no secret to the remainder of the team. It's in the little things, like inside jokes shared in whispers and words of encouragement before battle, but it's also in the more significant things, like the sacrifices they make for each other in order to be selfless. Supporting one another, in the most literal sense.

Keith still hasn't figured out physical contact, but Lance doesn't push the boundaries. The raw emotion that Lance holds within himself when he's with Keith alleviates his overwhelming loneliness. Simply being next to him is enough.

But their nights spent together are growing rarer. It is clear that Keith is growing restless, his absence from the team becoming noteworthy.

Pretty soon, Keith is packing his minimal belongings in order to pull away from the team completely.

He makes sure to take Lance's stuffed shark with him.

Lance doesn't get a separate goodbye. Despite their new closeness, Keith says his goodbyes to the team as a whole. As he disappears down the hallway, posture slumped and defeated, Lance feels a new, unfamiliar sadness overcome him, engulfing his every cell. He only feels hollow now.

Slinking into his own room that night, he flops into his empty bed, drawing the blankets over his shaking shoulders. It's back to loneliness, without the quiet comfort of Keith by his side, without their occasional light-hearted banter, without the serene outline of the dark-haired boy, dreaming restlessly beside him.

Keith doesn't recognize the loneliness gnawing away inside him until he is truly alone with his thoughts. Studying his only picture of the team, he finds his eyes drawn to Lance, whose dazzling smile and kind eyes bring charisma to his already strikingly beautiful features. Keith doesn't even believe that this picture does him justice.

_Why the fuck am I feeling so many feelings?_ Keith wonders in frustration, burying his face in his pillow. After years of being numb to his carefully-guarded emotions, the pulsing ache of longing for another is so powerful, it steals the breath away from his lungs.

He studies the tattered plush shark, its blue color graying with years of childhood companionship. Lance clearly loves this thing with all of his heart, why would he give it to Keith of all people?

He examines the photo again, this time with tears weighing down his eyelids. Each member of the team is such a special part of his own personal growth. Shiro goes unspoken, being as close to a brother as anyone ever has. Hunk uplifts him, Pidge inclues him, Allura accepts him, and Coran takes care of him. Lance makes him feel wanted, gives him value in his own eyes, gives his life meaning. Lance trusts him. It's a gift Keith never even knew he needed.

_But it's for the best that I'm not there with them,_ Keith decides, tossing the picture aside with a wistful glance. _I don't belong with them._

With that, Keith settles into sleep, the empty space beside him seeming endless.

•     •     •

It feels like less of a coincidence now, Keith leaving after their talk.

Hunk finds himself consoling Lance the night Keith leaves. Hunk knows he's upset, no matter how much Lance actively denies it. Finally, Hunk asks the question that has been burning at the tip of his tongue since days before: "Why won't you admit that you like Keith?"

Lance shrinks back in surprise at this question, his bubbly, joking facade falling into nothingness. "I guess I just...I've never liked anyone this much before. It's kinda freaking me out, considering who it is."

This sounds eerily similar to Keith's anxiety regarding his feelings for Lance as well. Bumping Lance's shoulder with his own, he gets the discouraged boy to look up with a tiny smile. "Dude...I get it, but you have nothing to be afraid of."

Lance laughs sadly. "Keith's too good for me. And you know it."

"If you think that's what I know, then I don't know anything." Hunk gives his best friend a disapproving glance. "Lance, anybody would be _beyond_ lucky to have you. There is nobody out there who is too good for you. _That's_ what I know."

Lance leans against the taller boy's arm, letting a genuine smile light up his despairing features. "Okay. I'm gonna trust you, simply because Hunk Garrett has never been wrong."

Squeezing Lance in an embrace, the brunette stands, beaming at Lance's contented expression. "Glad I could help, dude." Pausing at the door, he casts one last glance back towards the lonely, lanky boy who has stretched himself out on his bed. "You know where to find me, if you need me."

"Of course." Lance salutes, letting his eyes slip shut with the slide of the door closing.

Drifting off, Lance's worries fade as his mind relaxes and lets Keith's face speckle his dreams.

**Author's Note:**

> full offense but hunk and keith’s friendship is the only thing that matters
> 
> I love writing this soft klance and I hope you guys love reading it!!! There will definitely be more to come, please leave me a comment because I love those :^))) ♡♡♡ also please follow me on tumblr @/astropansexual I will definitely follow back, I wanna make friends!!! Thank y’all so much for all of the reads on the first part as well!!! Have a good day/night :^)


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